


Opening Night

by FrenchRoast



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 08:49:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2806616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchRoast/pseuds/FrenchRoast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jefferson makes a deal with Rumple; Belle begins to make a place for herself in Storybrooke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Opening Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Khughesca](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Khughesca).



> Set in early season 2.

“It won’t happen,” Rumple insisted. “She isn’t interested in that sort of thing. She’s not like the other people in this town. She doesn’t have false memories clouding her good sense.”

“There’s nothing wrong with them. They’re like magic.”

“One more reason she won’t like them.”

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. “Says the magic-wielding man she’s shacked up with. Besides, I don’t see what you have against them. They’re as close to realm-hopping as we’re going to get for awhile. Besides, what if we made it a deal?”

“What for? I don’t need a new hat.” Rumple let a wry smile creep onto his face. 

Jefferson shuddered. “And you won’t be getting one from me.”

\---------

 

It took Belle some time, but tracking down Jefferson – the man who had freed her from that pitiful existence in the hospital psych ward – was far easier than tracking down a Yaoguai. She wasn’t actually looking for him when she found Jefferson outside the school one morning. He had just dropped off his daughter, and he noticed Belle before she saw him. 

“Belle!” he said cheerfully, calling across the street. Upon seeing him, Belle crossed the street to go over and talk. She knew so few people in this town (and even fewer who didn’t actively hate Rumple), so Jefferson’s was a welcome face. As she walked over, she noted that Jefferson still dressed much like he had in the Enchanted Forest, when he visited Rumple in the Dark Castle. The only thing missing from his unique ensemble was his once ever-present hat. 

“Jefferson! I’m so happy to see you!” Belle told him. “I want to thank you for getting me out of that horrid hospital dungeon and helping me find Rumple, even if I didn’t know who he was until Emma broke the curse.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out sooner; Regina had me trapped as well, but terrible as it was, I’ll grant that mine was the far more comfortable trap.”

“I’m just glad we’re both free now,” Belle said. “I’m sure you missed your daughter.”

“”Yes.” Jefferson stared past Belle, towards the window of Grace’s classroom. There were still moments when he wondered if all of this was some elaborate series of tricks cooked up by the Evil Queen, and any moment, the truth would be revealed with the sound of Regina cackling like mad at his despair. “Sorry,” he said, shaking himself out of that melancholic thought. “Where are you headed? The library? I heard it’s supposed to reopen soon, and knowing your penchant for the written word…”

“I probably should be over there organizing it, but it’s a Sisyphean task. Everything is shelved haphazardly. Regina could’ve just trapped me in there for 28 years; it might take me that long to get it in order. At this point, I’ll be content if I can just find an inventory of what we have before I open it.” Belle shrugged. “And you?”

“I’ve been working on a secret project of sorts,” Jefferson said cryptically. “Want to accompany me? I’d like someone’s opinion before the big reveal, and I trust you more than anyone else in this town. It’s not far.”

“Sure,” Belle agreed.

\-----

“Here we are,” Jefferson said as he stopped in front of a large building Belle had observed before but never really taken note of. There was a glass ticket office, and above the entrance was a white board with large black letters spelling out words and names; some seemed familiar (“MULAN”; "THE ILLUSIONIST"; “THE SWORD IN THE STONE” for example) while others were completely foreign (“CASABLANCA”; “STAR WARS” ; “THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING”). Above the board was a sign with tall, glowing letters that read “STORYBROOKE FILMS”.

“…what is it?”

“It’s called a movie theater,” Jefferson exclaimed. His face was almost as bright as the sign. “We didn’t have them in the Enchanted Forest, but they’re almost like magic. As close as this world gets to it.”

Belle was curious. Magic that wasn’t magic sounded promising. Maybe once Rumple had helped return Emma and Snow, this non-magic could help him find Baelfire.

“What is it for? How do you use it?”

“Come inside, and I’ll show you around,” Jefferson said. He unlocked the front door and held it open for Belle. Inside, there was a counter with several different contraptions behind it. One was a drink dispenser like they had behind the counter at Granny’s, but Belle didn’t recognize the other gadgets. Beyond the counter was a hallway that extended to the left and to the right, with a total of five doors—2 on either wall down the hall to the left, 2 down either hall to the right, and 1 immediately opposite the opening into the hallway. Jefferson opened that door and ushered Belle inside. 

Belle gasped as she walked in and saw the giant screen. It took another moment for her to see the overwhelming number of seats opposite the screen. 

“So this is like…an enormous…what’s it called? Rumple has one in his house. I thought he had people trapped inside it, but Ruby explained it’s just some sort of picture.”

“A TV. Yeah, it is like a giant TV, I suppose.”

“You didn’t steal this one from a giant, did you?’

Jefferson laughed. “No, it’s been here since the curse. Now that I’m not trapped, I need something to do, and since realm-hopping is a no-go, and no one’s running this place, I decided to try opening this place.”

“All by yourself?”

“That is the one snag I’ve run into,” Jefferson confessed. “We could open tomorrow night, but it’s really a 3 person job. 1 person to sell tickets, 1 to sell the drinks and snacks at the counter, and 1 to run the projectors. Grace and I make two. I was hoping you might know if anyone would be interested in being my assistant?”

Belle looked up at the screen. “I don’t really know many people here, Jefferson.”

“Ah.”

“But—what if we make a deal?”

“Someone’s been spending a lot of time with the Dark One, hasn’t she?” Jefferson asked, but he was grinning. 

Belle stuck out her tongue. “I was going to suggest that I be your assistant for a week or so in exchange for free tickets. I’m sure once the movie theater is open and people start coming, it’ll be easy for you to find a new assistant.”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“It’s the least I can do, Jefferson. Besides, I want to see the movie and find out who this ‘Casablanca’ person is. They have such an intriguing name.”

“What is it with you and intriguing names? First Rumplestiltskin, now Casablanca. What name will you get stuck on next? Benedict Cumberbatch?”

Belle did the only thing she could do: she stuck her tongue out again.

\-----

The next night was opening night. The lights in the displays blazed, and somehow Jefferson had found pictures that went with each movie. Belle admired everything from her post in the glass box office while Grace sold popcorn and soda to those who purchased tickets. Jefferson was manning the projectors upstairs. 

“Belle!?” a very confused sounding Rumple (or Mr. Gold, as everyone else here kept calling him) said as he walked up to the box office. “What are you doing in there?”

Belle shook her head in mock exasperation. “Selling tickets to the movies, what does it look like?” 

“But…why? I thought you preferred to spend your time at the library?”

“Oh, I love the library, but I can’t stay in there all the time, Rumple, and you’re so busy. This is just something different. And it lets me meet people,” Belle explained. “Look, why don’t you come inside so we can talk and you won’t hold up the line?”

“I…okay,” Rumple said weakly. He swore under his breath as he made his way inside, but he wasn’t really upset. More bemused. Jefferson had been right, and now Rumple would have to fix anything in the movie theater that broke, free of charge. 

Not that it mattered. Seeing Belle happy made any lost deal worth the losing of it.


End file.
